Local Elections

BySamantha Lewakowski and Blair Moon |April 27, 2017

The future of East Lansing’s elementary students will meet its fate on May 2. School district residents will vote on a bond that would pay for the reconstruction of six schools. The School Board proposed the bond and is asking to borrow $93,770,000 to be repaid through property taxes.

Jewell Jones is the newest Michigan State Representative, before even graduating college at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Jones was selected to replace the late Judy Plawecki, as soon as he got back from his military assignment. Proceeding with a campaign, Jones won the 2016 election. The Inkster native has really big ideas while in office. He plans on working on bill and legislatures on sexual assault on college campuses, cyber security, and criminal reform as well. “My broad plans to increase capacity and engagement.

On Tuesday Feb. 7, the Meridian Township board passed a resolution in support of Black History Month. As a district, Meridian Township is very diverse and is proud of the black heritage in its community. “Our district is also frequently looking for ways to further educate students on the importance of acceptance,” said Brixie. Brixie, is the treasurer of Meridian Township.

A statewide recount of Michigan’s votes in the presidential election died in the courts and was suspended or never started in most Michigan counties, but was completed in Ingham County. Overseeing operations at the Ingham County Fairgrounds in Mason, County Clerk Barb Byrum and a staff of volunteers account for almost 135,000 ballots. Byrum said, “it has been a monumental undertaking. Tables and chairs, projectors and screens being taken to the fairground, a printer this afternoon, over 300 emails for people who are interested. I currently have 50 workers and need more.”

Spartan Newsroom spoke with Bryn Williams when working on a story about how voter registration in East Lansing had doubled from 2012 to 2016. During the discussion, he talked a lot about the struggle that he getting students registered to vote and how we can overcome them. Efforts by the East Lansing City Clerk and campus student groups helped lead to a three fold increase in new voter registrations from 2012 to 2016, according to the clerk’s office. So how did they do it? Spartan Newsroom asked Williams, former community liaison at the Associated Students of Michigan State University, MSU’s undergraduate student government.

Leanne Pregizer was eligible to register to vote for the 2012 election, but chose not to because she didn’t know how to go about it. In 2016, a friend told her about Turbovote, a nonprofit website that helps people register to vote, update registration or request an absentee ballot. “The site was really easy to use, and they laid out the steps really well,” said Pregizer, Michigan State University law student . Online efforts like Turbovote, along with heavy voter registration efforts by campus groups, helped contribute to a spike in voter turnout and voter registration in East Lansing, local elections officials say. How did they do it?

Political power of students — something Mark Grebner of Practical Political Consulting has been fighting for since he was a student at Michigan State University almost four decades ago. He started in local government, serving on the East Lansing planning commission and eventually being elected to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners. But how much power do they really have? And do students use it?

ByRachel Fradette |December 8, 2016

Michigan’s official recount of the 2016 Presidential election results, which has consumed the nation’s attention — has halted. On Dec. 5 at noon, Ingham County officially opened its state-ordered recount. Two days later, a federal judge had overturned the earlier ruling. But the county’s results had already been submitted at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum.

East Lansing, Mich.—The 2016 presidential election turned out to be the highest volume of registered voters in the history of Michigan, causing a busy day for city officials but also an encouraging display of American pride. Many city officials were scrambling and trying to make the process smooth and easy for newly registered student voters. Marie Wicks, the City Clerk of East Lansing, described election day as “hectic and very busy”. “We had 700 student employees working around campus at the polling locations,” said Wicks. “In terms of residents hired by the city, we had 300 people working, it was doubled from last election and six training sessions as compared to two.”

Wicks was very pleased with the turnout and considered all the events that unfolded on election day to be an “experience”.

Environmental News from Great Lakes Echo

By MAX JOHNSTON
Capital News Service
LANSING — Many people consider carp to be a “trash fish,” but fly fishing for carp is popular in northern Michigan. This year though, guides have cancelled trips and lost thousands of dollars because they can’t find the fish.

By CARIN TUNNEY
Capital News Service
LANSING — Lake trout make noise in bed, according to new research by Great Lakes scientists. The species commonly growl, snap, quiver and thump while spawning, the study found.

In Case You Missed It

Summertime poses as the perfect opportunity for students to make and earn money for the up-and-coming school year but with more and more summer internships failing to offer compensation for their time students can struggle to make ends meet. “When I first got my internship I was so excited,” said Michigan State University pre-med student Ali Beydoun, “then found out it was unpaid and I got a little worried.